Seanice & Sharina Clarke

Sisters Seanice and Sharina Clarke recognize the value in women of color having a seat at the table and validating one another. They designed Hey Girl Hey as a social accessory to facilitate exactly that. Their card game is disrupting the gaming industry by catering to extroverts, introverts, and every kind of social atmosphere.

Why is representation and inclusion so important within the games and entertainment industry?

There are so many levels of engagement, on the social spectrum. There is also an influx of games and entertainment that appeals to the extrovert or groups and it dominates the shelves and ecomm market. Introspective and connection building opportunities are often overlooked for the sake of the “turn up.” Hey Girl Hey game appeals to both and can be tailored for every social atmosphere. Whether it’s a one on one lunch session with an old friend or a group of women on a “girls trip.” Having a seat at the table makes room for variety, adding value as a culturally based contribution and disrupts a homogeneous industry that caters to more monolithic elements.

‍What emotions or feelings would you like to evoke when people play Hey Girl Hey?

‍Our goal for Hey Girl Hey Game is to be a social "accessory" for folks to carry with them on various occasions or events. Just as you wouldn't forget to wear your favorite handbag that matches your outfit, you won't want to forget to bring Hey Girl Hey Game with you to brunch or happy hour with the girls.

‍You are sisters and co-founders - what advice do you have for family members collaborating on launching a venture?

Seanice: Definitely understanding each other's strengths and areas of growth has been helpful in having a successful working relationship with Sharina. Knowing when to step up and step back, or knowing when to push for an idea or let it go, until a better time/opportunity arises.

What resources have been most helpful to the growth and sustainability of your business?‍

The Future Collective has been a dynamic resource for us as we navigate our business. With access to designers for our advertisements and social media support, we’ve been able to lighten our load while being cost-conscious in the process. Most importantly, our network of small business owners has been a guiding light along the way. We’ve been able to tap into our resources as they've supported the streamlining of the business, offering feedback, recommendations, and a helping hand.

What have been your biggest learning lessons as a business owner?

Communicate and be malleable! Both amongst ourselves and with others. As we navigate the unknown in entrepreneurship, the two of us have encountered challenges that were only overcome by being flexible, actively listening, and communicating with one another. There were moments where we agreed to disagree and respectfully referred to the other as an act of trust. While other moments required us to connect with distributors and accept some harsh realities or challenge unacceptable standards. But mindfulness of these lessons has allowed us to maintain momentum.‍

What advice do you have for someone who is just starting their business?

‍Set goals and keep them! Many times we’ll agree to create a meeting, or complete a task and convince ourselves to delay our commitments. In turn, we’ve only discovered we’re behind or not as accomplished as we could be having missed opportunities.

‍Where do you draw inspiration for your business?

‍Our inspirational stems from the need to be heard, seen and validated, by our own reflection, women of color. There are many moments in life where we experience uncertainty. But receiving that “yaaaassss” or “I see you Queen” or even “Hey Girl Hey” from a black woman uplifts and shines a light on the innate sisterhood we have as a community. We also draw inspiration from our favorite shows like “Living Single” “Girlfriends” “Insecure” and moments we’ve experienced with our homegirls, where we capture the essence of a venting session to advice sharing, to celebrations.